New Birney

For about five years I operated old trolleys at History Park in San Jose, CA. This little Birney is my tribute to dear 143, one of the museum's two operational San Jose Railroads trolleys.

The Birney Safety Car was one of the first attempts to create a universal streetcar/trolley/tram design for local routes. Designed in 1915 by Charles Birney and Joseph Bosenbury, it was one of the first trolleys in the US with automatic doors and fare machines, allowing single-person operation. Birneys were initially produced for US streetcar systems, but quickly found themselves all over the world, both as new builds and secondhand purchases. Their compact size, simple design, and endearing appearance have made them an instant classic streetcar from the golden age of electric rail transit.

My redsign aims to keep as much of the charm of the original Birneys as possible while upgrading their construction, drives, and features to modern standards, such as low-floors. Just like the original cars, it is intended for small routes where road space might be an issue.